1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to telephone base members and support members.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is conventional for a telephone base member to be supported upon a horizontal surface in such a way that the visual face of the base and which bears the dialing features, is orientated for the convenience of the user. Orientation considerations are also of prime importance when locating a telephone base member upon a vertical wall surface. It is now known to provide telephone base members for the dual function of being mountable either upon a horizontal or upon a vertical surface. As the normal angle of inclination of the visual face of a base member is different upon a horizontal surface than upon a vertical surface, to allow for the dual function, the base member forms a combination with a detachable support member. With the support member mounted in one position upon the base member, the visual face is oriented for convenience of use when supported upon a horizontal surface and with the support member disposed in another position upon the base member, for convenience of use when mounted upon a vertical surface. For the dual function, the detachable support member is turned through 180.degree. to change the angle of orientation of the base member, and results in the same angle of orientation of the base member either upon the vertical or horizontal surface, but in the opposite sense. Hence, when the base member is held on a vertical surface, it is inclined forwardly with the visual face directed upwards in the general direction of the user's eyes so that the part of the base member which is at the top when on the vertical surface is closest to the vertical surface. However, when on a horizontal surface, the base member is inclined so that the same part of the base member is furthest from the supporting horizontal surface.
This mounting technique is acceptable except when, as in more recent telephone base member designs, a display readout, e.g. an LCD visual information display, is provided. A problem with such display readouts is that the user's eyes need to be directly in front of the readout to enable any information to be read. Unfortunately, a dual function telephone base member does not enable the visual face to be viewed by the user in a direction normal to the plane of the face for both use positions of the base. Hence, if the visual information display is provided directly on the visual face, then in one of the use positions, it becomes unreadable unless the average user moves his head into an unusual and possibly uncomfortable position. To overcome this problem, more recently, visual information displays are provided upon separate display units which are pivotally mounted upon the telephone base members. Hence, in use, the display units may be pivoted relative to the visual face so as to face directly towards the user's eyes in either the horizontal or vertical support positions for the base member. However, this new design presents other problems in that it increases the expense of telephone base members and manufacturing design needs to include the mounting of a display unit upon the base member and in electrically connecting it to the base member. The latter requires an extension from the base member of a cable for connection to the display unit. Undoubtedly, both the display unit and cable are vulnerable. In addition, the cable is required to be flexed each time the display unit is pivoted and such flexing is undesirable in that it adds to the wear of the product.
The present invention seeks to provide a telephone base member and base support member combination which enables the base member to be disposed at different angles of support and which makes it more convenient for the user when the base member is supported either in vertical or in horizontal positions. Hence, a display readout may be provided directly upon the base as part of the visual face while being more convenient to the user for viewing in either the vertical or horizontal positions.